Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-12-2022, 10:08 PM   #1
Eric Funk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Earth
Default Magic 4e Lightning Spells

Greetings!

Lightning (GURPS Magic 4e p.M196) has a followup effect of HT roll or suffer stun.
Explosive Lightning and Lightning Whip mention specifically that the effects of Lightning apply. (Spark Storm mentions a (capital L) Lightning bolt strikes... Storm has a small l).

Spark Cloud and Shocking Touch explicitly mention only providing special effects against metal armor and/or electronics.

Wall of Lightning, Ball of Lightning, and most others in the college do not mention any side effects despite having "Lightning" or spark in the title.


Is there clarification anywhere as to why or is it just those four electric spells that have the followup stun effect?

Thanks!
Eric Funk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 03:22 AM   #2
Willy
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Default Re: Magic 4e Lightning Spells

Maybe Basic Set P. 432 - 433 Electricity can help, under Localized injury there is stated " including most magical attacks ".
Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 09:27 AM   #3
bocephus
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Default Re: Magic 4e Lightning Spells

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Funk View Post
Is there clarification anywhere as to why or is it just those four electric spells that have the followup stun effect?
I don't think the spells themselves are clarified (and this isn't the first time it's come up), but as Willy noted there is a mention in Basic.

Its probably got to do with the cost to cast vs effects. If you go through the whole build process some spells probably come out too cheap to have a follow on effect (the stun).

I personally have standardized it to be any electrical attack that does 2 dice or more for a single damage roll to a target, triggers a roll against the stun effect. It's not RAW but it makes my life easier.
bocephus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 10:06 AM   #4
Gnome
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cambridge, MA
Default Re: Magic 4e Lightning Spells

People can disagree on intent, power balance, etc. I apply the effects under Lightning to all such spells--it just makes sense to me...
Gnome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2022, 07:16 PM   #5
Eric Funk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Earth
Default Re: Magic 4e Lightning Spells

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnome View Post
People can disagree on intent, power balance, etc. I apply the effects under Lightning to all such spells--it just makes sense to me...
I see, right, per the note of B433 above. ("Localised injury:", ... "including most magical electricity attacks")*

Lightning spells are based on 1d6-1 which can easily be 0. (wall, Ball, sparkstorm, etc), so I think that is the balance.



Thanks everyone!

* I will note an exception is "Lethal Lightning" from GURPS Death Spells p.22 which specifically uses the previous paragraph...
Eric Funk is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
gurps

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:31 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.